A variety of jackets are presently used for covering and protecting books. Many school districts mandate the use of such book jackets in an attempt to minimize damage to increasingly expensive textbooks. However, conventional book jackets commonly exhibit a number of disadvantages. They are usually constructed of a fairly lightweight paper or plastic material that has a relatively short life span, particularly when subjected to wear and tear by school age students. Furthermore, assembling such book jackets is often a time consuming and annoying task. Fairly precise cutting, folding, taping and/or gluing are typically, required to insure that the jacket properly fits the book. And, traditional book jackets are not readily adaptable for subsequent reuse on books having different sizes. After a jacket which has been constructed to fit a particular book is removed from that book, it is typically discarded. This is economically and environmentally inefficient.
Certain book jackets have been constructed of more permanent materials. However, these products typically utilize a fairly intricate construction and are not conveniently adjustable, particularly for various sizes of school textbooks.